Missile diplomacy or intimidation: why the Russian Federation has increased the number of launches - analytics (photo)
These launches pursue not only technical goals but also a strategic task: to demonstrate technological potential and send a signal to the international community. This is stated in Army Recognition on December 6. The most noticeable event in recent days was the launch of Zircon hypersonic missiles on December 4, 2024 in the eastern part of the Mediterranean.
The launchers were made of frigates "Admiral Gorshkov" and "Admiral Golovko", and also accompanied the demonstration of launchers "Caliber" from the submarine "Novorossiysk" and the Onyx missiles from the coastal complex "Bastion". Circon hypersonic rocket is allegedly capable of developing up to 9 Mach and hitting targets up to 1,000 kilometers, which makes it an important stage in the development of Russian weapons.
This rocket provides strategic flexibility and confirms Russia's intention to strengthen its position in key regions. The Caliber rocket remains the basis of Russia's strategy to strike precise blows over long distances. These winged rockets up to 2,500 kilometers were attracted on November 28, 2024 for the Black Sea attacks. They have proven themselves to be universal weapons to defeat terrestrial and maritime purposes, used in Syria and Ukraine to destroy critical infrastructure.
The Onyx rocket, known for its speed of 2. 5 Mach and range up to 600 kilometers, was involved in training on December 3, 2024. Launch from the Bastion-P complex demonstrated Russia's willingness to defend its bases in Syria and strengthen regional influence. The use of Orezhnik ballistic missile on November 21, 2024 was another important event to hit the Dnieper.
With a range of up to 5,000 kilometers and a speed of more than 12,000 km/h, this rocket is able to carry a few craftsmen with individual guidance. Kremlin head Vladimir Putin called the launch a symbolic response to the use of Western missiles, such as Storm Shadow and ATACMS. However, experts believe that this demonstration is more aimed at intimidation than a real change in the course of hostilities.
Despite the high technical characteristics, the mass use of ballistic and winged missiles has not led to decisive success in Ukraine. Their blows could not significantly disrupt the Ukrainian military and civilian infrastructure. Moreover, the high cost of rockets and limited production capabilities reduce their efficiency in long -term conflicts. One of the key tasks of these launches is to strengthen rocket diplomacy.
Russia demonstrates its ability to impress strategic goals in Europe and beyond, directing signals to both the event and its allies, such as the Syrian regime. However, in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war, the strikes were unable to significantly undermine the military infrastructure of Ukraine, and the high cost and limited production capacity pose doubt on their efficiency in long-term conflicts. At the same time, the strategy of intimidation of Moscow carries significant risks.
Increasing rhetoric around hypersonic missiles can increase intensity in NATO's relationships, and the rejection of a moratorium on the deployment of medium and less range missiles threatens many years of arms control efforts. Thus, analysts, rocket tests conducted by Russia, illustrated its ambitions and contradictions.
On the one hand, they strengthen the image of the country as a technological state, on the other - emphasize structural problems that are manifested in the conditions of prolonged conflicts. "In the face of an increasingly polarized world, rocket diplomacy may attempt to confirm its international position, but at the cost of significant economic and political expenditures," the observers summed up.